Key part of law to help child sex abuse survivors to expire

ATLANTA – A key provision of a Georgia law meant to help survivors of childhood sexual abuse is set to expire Saturday.

State law says victims must file lawsuits seeking damages before they turn 23. The 2015 Hidden Predator Act provided a two-year window during which victims older than that could sue their alleged abusers.

While a law to help victims of childhood sex abuse may seem like a no-brainer, advocates say they often meet resistance from powerful groups that say they could lead to a flood of lawsuits, false claims and ruined reputations.

The law's sponsor, Republican Rep. Jason Spencer, is trying to get his colleagues in the General Assembly to extend the measure and go even further in the legislative session that begins in January.